Ball and socket joint

ABSTRACT

A ball-and-socket joint for a motor vehicle, especially for a rocker pendulum of a motor vehicle, is provided with a housing ( 1 ), which is open on at least one side and into the interior space ( 2 ) of which a bearing shell ( 3 ) is inserted, which in turn accommodates a joint ball ( 4 ) of a ball pivot ( 5 ) in a slidingly movable manner. The interior space ( 2 ) has elevations and/or depressions ( 7 ) along its inner jacket surface ( 6 ) or a polygonal cross section, so that the bearing shell ( 3 ), which is provided with an oversize in relation to the inner jacket surface ( 6 ), can be inserted into the housing ( 1 ) in a positive-locking manner while its outer surface undergoes a partial plastic deformation. The inner jacket surface ( 6 ) may have pressure zones ( 19 ) which shorten the effective length of the elevations and/or depressions ( 7 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention pertains to a ball-and-socket joint for amotor vehicle, especially for a rocker pendulum of a motor vehicle, witha housing, which is open on at least one side and into the interiorspace of which a bearing shell is inserted, which in turn accommodates ajoint ball of a ball pivot in a slidingly movable manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Such a ball-and-socket joint has been known from, e.g., DE 43 06006 A1. It has a hollow cylindrical housing, into the interior space ofwhich a bearing shell is inserted for receiving the joint ball of a ballpivot in a slidingly movable manner. The bearing shell of the prior-artball-and-socket joints, which have a very simple design, consists ofplastic, which guarantees optimal friction conditions for the joint ballto be mounted. The bearing shell disclosed in the said document has aring collar, which is supported on one side at the end face of thehousing. On the side located opposite the ring collar, a ring collet ismade in one piece with the bearing shell, and in the preassembled statethe said ring collet has an axial extension and external dimensionsrelative to the central longitudinal axis of the bearing shell thatcorrespond to the external dimensions of the bearing shell. During theassembly of the prior-art ball-and-socket joint, the bearing shell isinserted into the housing, so that the ring collar is supported at theend face of the housing and the ring collet can be deformed on theopposite side of the housing by means of a deformation process. Anultrasonic deformation process is proposed for the deformation of thering collet in the cited document. After the conclusion of theultrasonic deformation, the ring collet forms a bead on the housing, asa result of which the bearing shell is fixed at the housing.

[0003] A very essential problem in the prior-art ball-and-socket jointdesigns is that the bearing shell fixed on the housing by means ofultrasonic deformation does not engage in a permanently fixed connectionwith the housing and loosening of the bearing shell cannot therefore beruled out over the lifetime of the ball-and-socket joint. The frictiongenerated by the relative movements between the housing and the bearingshell leads to an increase in wear, so that the ball-and-socket jointmay ultimately fail. Moreover, penetrating contaminants act as factorsaccelerating the failure of the joint as a consequence of the abrasiondue to the increasing wear of the bearing shell.

[0004] To prevent the bearing shell from loosening and from performing,e.g., rotary movements around the central longitudinal axis of thehousing, notches are currently prepared in the edge area of the housingblank after the manufacturing of the housing blank, and the material ofthe bearing shell, softened by the ultrasonic deformation, can laterflow into the said notches at least in some sections. However, thenotches, prepared in the housing according to an impression process,lead to deformations of the housing, so that the latter will haveunacceptable tolerances, run-outs, conicities and/or errors in planeparallelism.

[0005] It was, furthermore, observed that the material of the softenedbearing shell material sometimes flows into the notches of the housingduring the ultrasonic deformation to a limited extent only. Thus,separation of the bearing shell from the housing and a resultingmobility of the bearing shell in relation to the housing cannot be ruledout with certainty even in the case of these improved designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The basic technical object of the present invention is to developa ball-and-socket joint that makes it possible to reliably secure thebearing shell against movements within the housing, in addition tohaving a simple design.

[0007] According to the invention, a motor vehicle ball-and-socket jointis provided with a housing open on a side and having an inner jacketsurface with an interior space, a bearing shell inserted in saidinterior and a ball pivot with a joint ball accommodated in said bearingshell in a slidingly movable manner. The interior space has shapedportions. The bearing shell is provided oversized in relation to saidinner jacket surface and is inserted into said housing in apositive-locking manner with an outer surface of said bearing shellpartially plastically deformed by the shaped portions.

[0008] The ball-and-socket joints have as a feature in common, ahousing, which is open on at least one side and into the interior spaceof which a bearing shell is inserted, which in turn accommodates a jointball of a ball pivot.

[0009] Corresponding to a first suggestion of the present invention, theshaped portions are elevations and/or depressions provided in theinterior space, along its inner jacket surface. The bearing shell has,furthermore, an oversize in relation to the inner jacket surface of thehousing, so that quasi a press fit is obtained. As a result, an at leastpartial plastic deformation of the outer surface of the bearing shelltakes place. The bearing shell can be inserted into the housing in apositive-locking manner.

[0010] According to another solution of the object stated in theintroduction, the interior space of the housing has a polygonal crosssection, so that the bearing shell, provided with an oversize inrelation to the innerjacket surface, can be inserted into the housing ina positive-locking manner while its outer surface undergoes a partialplastic deformation.

[0011] Thus, it is not only possible to manufacture the ball-and-socketjoint according to the present invention in a simple manner, but theball-and-socket joint also has, furthermore, a simple design and istherefore inexpensive and guarantees, moreover, the reliable fixing ofthe bearing shell within the housing.

[0012] To simplify the manufacture and to reduce the depth ofmanufacture, it is advantageous in the sense of the present invention toprovide the elevations and/or depressions over the entire height of thehousing.

[0013] Following this idea, it is proposed according to anotherembodiment of the present invention that the elevations and/ordepressions be prepared by a deformation process in the interior spaceof the housing. For example, a deep-drawing process may be used as thedeformation process.

[0014] In addition, it is also possible to provide the inner jacketsurface with the elevations and/or depressions according to a broachingprocess.

[0015] The housing should have the simplest geometry possible, and it isdesigned as a hollow cylinder according to a variant of the presentinvention. Furthermore, it may be manufactured according to a coldextrusion process or by means of machining.

[0016] According to another, highly advantageous embodiment of thepresent invention, the bearing shell is provided on one side with anoutlet opening, through which a connection pin of the ball pivotconnected to the joint ball protrudes to the outside, and the bearingshell is closed on the side located opposite the outlet opening. Theclosed side of the bearing shell thus guarantees the sealing of theball-and-socket joint, on the one hand, and a bearing surface is thusprovided, on the other hand, and, furthermore, an additional closingcover is eliminated. The ball-and-socket joint may be sealed on the pinside in the known manner by a sealing bellows.

[0017] Besides the above-described securing of the bearing shell againsta rotary movement within the housing, it is, furthermore, also necessaryto fix the bearing shell in the axial direction. It is proposed for thisthat the bearing shell be equipped on one side with a ring collar, whichis supported on a front surface of the housing after the installation ofthe bearing shell. The side of the bearing shell located opposite thisring collar in the axial direction preferably has a ring collet, whichextends axially before the assembly and is deformed to prepare a tightconnection between the bearing shell and the housing during the mountingof the ball-and-socket joint. This ring collet may be deformed by meansof a suitable deformation process or a welding process after theinsertion of the bearing shell into the housing. For example, theultrasonic deformation or friction deformation may be used as thedeformation process. Frictional heat, which makes possible thedeformation of the local area, is generated during the frictiondeformation process by means of a rotating deforming tool in the area ofthe ring collet of the bearing shell.

[0018] To achieve an additional securing of the bearing shell in thehousing and to improve the sealing in this contact area if necessary, itmay, moreover, be appropriate to additionally introduce a binder, whichmay advantageously be an adhesive.

[0019] It may happen in ball-and-socket joints of this design that thehousing still has a diameter that is too small for the mounting of theball-and-socket joint even after the elevations and/or depressions havebeen formed. This may be caused by inaccuracies (dispersions) during theprocessing of the housing, e.g., during the cold extrusion, during thewelding or during the coating. However, it is also possible that thehousing may have to be subsequently adapted to variations in thedimensions of other components. It may therefore be necessary in such ahousing to increase the diameter to a final diameter suitable for themounting of the ball-and-socket joint, which is performed with anexpanding tool, which is introduced into the housing at least partiallythrough the opening provided in the housing and is subsequentlyexpanded. During the expansion, the expanding tool presses against theinner wall of the housing, as a result of which the housing is pushedapart and widened until the diameter of the housing reaches the desiredfinal diameter. It may happen during this expansion of the housing thatthe elevations and/or depressions are pressed down by the expandingtool, so that the positive-locking securing against rotation accordingto the present invention between the bearing shell and the housing iscompromised.

[0020] To solve this problem, the ball-and-socket joint according to thepresent invention for a motor vehicle, especially for a rocker pendulumof a motor vehicle, has a housing that is open on at least one side andinto the interior space of which a bearing shell is inserted, which inturn accommodates a joint ball of a ball pivot in a slidingly movablemanner, the said interior space having elevations and/or depressionsalong its inner jacket surface, so that the bearing shell, provided withan oversize in relation to the inner jacket surface, is inserted intothe housing in a positive-locking manner while its outer surfaceundergoes a partial plastic formation. The inner jacket surface haspressure zones that shorten the effective length of the elevationsand/or depressions.

[0021] To widen the housing, an expanding tool according to the presentinvention acts on the inner jacket surface of the housing exclusively inthe area of the pressure zones, so that the elevations and/ordepressions formed outside the pressure zones are not pressed downduring the widening of the housing and are available for thepositive-locking connection to the bearing shell.

[0022] The elevations and/or depressions are formed before the wideningand may be provided according to a first alternative exclusively outsidethe pressure zones. The effective length of the elevations and/ordepressions for the positive-locking connection of the housing and thebearing shell is already shortened before the widening in this case.However, according to a second alternative, the elevations and/ordepressions extend into the areas of the pressure zones before thewidening. The elevations and/or depressions are especially preferablyformed in this case over the entire height of the housing before thewidening, which can be accomplished in an especially simple manner andtherefore at low cost by means of a deep-drawing process or by means ofa broaching tool. The elevations and/or depressions are depressed by theexpanding tool in this case in the area of the pressure zones during thewidening, so that they are lower or flatter after the widening thanoutside the pressure zones. The effective length of the elevationsand/or depressions for the positive-locking connection of the housingand the bearing shell is also shortened hereby, because the elevationsand/or depressions pressed down in the area of the pressure zones canmake only a limited contribution to this positive-locking connection.

[0023] The pressure zones may be arranged in an irregular distributionover the inner jacket surface. However, the pressure zones arepreferably located on annular surfaces, whose centers or central axesare located on the central longitudinal axis. The expanding tool canthus be manufactured in a simpler manner, because the contact surfacesof the expanding tool, which act on the pressure zones, are annular.Furthermore, the force acting on the housing is distributed as a resultmore uniformly during the widening.

[0024] It is especially advantageous for one of the annular surfaces todirectly adjoin the housing opening. The consequence of this is that thecontact surface of the bearing shell and the housing is reduced in thearea of the opening, so that contaminants can penetrate into the contactarea between the bearing shell and the housing with greater difficultyonly. Based on this variant of the present invention, one of the annularsurfaces is provided such that it directly adjoins both end faces if thehousing is designed in the form of a hollow cylinder that is open atboth end faces. Such a hollow cylinder can be manufactured in anespecially simple manner according to a cold extrusion process or bymachining.

[0025] The elevations and/or depressions may extend, e.g., helically orlinearly and be sloped in relation to the central longitudinal axis.However, the elevations and/or depressions preferably extend linearlyand in parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the housing, so thatthe elevations and/or depressions can be prepared with a simplebroaching tool or by deep-drawing the housing body. These processes areespecially inexpensive.

[0026] The ball-and-socket joint according to the present invention isassembled by first inserting the pivot pin equipped with a joint ballinto the recess of the bearing shell provided for this purpose. Thisassembly unit, comprising the bearing shell and the ball pivot, issubsequently introduced into the interior space of the housing from oneside. Since the bearing shell has an oversize in relation to the innerjacket surface of the housing, an at least partial plastic deformationof the outer surface of the bearing shell takes place during theinsertion of the bearing shell into the housing, so that a press fit isquasi established, and the bearing shell is connected to the housing ina positive-locking manner. Securing against rotation is established dueto this plastic deformation of the outer surface of the bearing shellalready during the mounting of the ball-and-socket joint, i.e., thebearing shell is prevented from performing a rotary movement around thecentral longitudinal axis in relation to the housing. The centrallongitudinal axis of the housing and the bearing shell coincide in themounted ball-and-socket joint and they are consequently coaxial.

[0027] The expanding tool according to the present invention has aplurality of segments that can be moved independently from one anotherand are arranged around the longitudinal axis of the expanding tool toform the rotationally symmetrical shape of the expanding tool. Thecontact surfaces for widening the housing, which are separated from eachother by grooves, are provided on the outer surfaces of the segments,which said outer surfaces form the jacket surface of the expanding tool.

[0028] According to a variant, the contact surfaces are arranged onannular surfaces, and the grooves are designed as annular grooves, whichpreferably have a sawtooth-like profile when viewed in the direction ofthe longitudinal axis.

[0029] According to a variant, a through hole, which extends at leastpartially conically, is provided in the expanding tool along thelongitudinal axis. The angle of slope of the cone is preferably 5°.

[0030] The solution according to the present invention shall beexplained in greater detail below on the basis of the views in thefigures based on two preferred exemplary embodiments. The variousfeatures of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed outwith particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operatingadvantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is madeto the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferredembodiments of the invention are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031]FIG. 1 is a detail and a sectional view of a ball-and-socket jointaccording to the present invention in the preassembled state;

[0032]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a mounted ball-and-socket jointaccording to the present invention;

[0033]FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of a housing as an individualpart;

[0034]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of another housing for aball-and-socket joint according to the present invention;

[0035]FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the housing according to FIG. 3after the widening;

[0036]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the expanding toolaccording to the present invention for widening the housing;

[0037]FIG. 7 is a side view of the embodiment according to FIG. 6; and

[0038]FIG. 8 is a top view of the embodiment according to FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] Referring to the drawings in particular, the ball-and-socketjoint shown in the figures for a motor vehicle comprises a housing 1,which is designed as a ring-shaped housing in this case. The housing 1has an interior space 2, which has a circular cross section in theembodiments according to FIGS. 1 through 3 and a polygonal cross sectionin the view in FIG. 4.

[0040] A bearing shell 3 is inserted into the interior space 2 of thehousing 1. The bearing shell 3 consists of plastic and is used toreceive and mount the joint ball 4 of a ball pivot designated as a wholeby 5 in a slidingly movable manner. The joint ball 4 is joined by aconnection pin 9 of the ball pivot 5, which is provided with aconnection thread 15 for connection to a motor vehicle component, as isapparent from FIG. 2.

[0041] Moreover, FIG. 2 shows that a shaft 14 is fastened to the housing1. This shaft 14 was made in one piece with the housing 1 in theexample.

[0042] The interior space 2 of the housing 1 has an inner jacket surface6, which is provided with elevations and/or depressions distributed overits circumference. A ball-and-socket joint according to the presentinvention is manufactured by first inserting the joint ball 4 of theball pivot 5 into the bearing shell 3, as is apparent from FIG. 1. Thebearing shell 3 is now introduced into the interior space 2 of thehousing from one side of the housing 1. Since the bearing shell has anoversize according to the present invention in relation to the interiorspace 2, the connection between the bearing shell 3 and the housing 1can be achieved by means of a press fit only, so that the outer jacketsurface of the bearing shell 3 is plastically deformed at least in someareas while it is being introduced into the housing 1.

[0043] The bearing shell 3 has a ring collar 10, which is supported onone side against a front surface of the housing 1. On the side locatedopposite the ring collar 10, the bearing shell 3 is equipped with a ringcollet 11, which is shown in FIG. 1 in the yet incompletely mountedstate. This ring collet 11 is deformed by means of an ultrasonicsonotrode to complete the connection between the bearing shell 3 and thehousing 1 and then forms a material bead 12, as is shown in FIG. 2.Axial fixation of the bearing shell 3 is thus achieved within thehousing 1 by means of the ring collar 10 and the ring collet 11 deformedinto a material bead 12. The bearing shell 3 is secured against rotarymovement around the central longitudinal axis 16 by the elevationsand/or depressions 7 on the inner jacket surface 6 of the housing 1.

[0044] As is apparent especially clearly from FIG. 2, the bearing shell3 is closed on one side. The need for an additional cover element forclosing the ball-and-socket joint can thus be eliminated. Furthermore,the closed side of the bearing shell 3 forms an additional bearingsurface for the joint ball 4 of the ball pivot 5. The joint ball 4 wasmanufactured as a separate component in the embodiment according to FIG.2 and is connected to the connection pin 9. The two components togetherform the ball pivot 5, which has the connection thread 15 at its end.The connection pin 9 protrudes from the bearing shell 3 through anoutlet opening 8 of the bearing shell 3. In the area of the ring collar10 of the bearing shell 3, the bearing shell has a groove on the outsidefor receiving a sealing bellows 13. The other end of the sealing bellows13 is sealingly in contact with the connection pin 9 of the ball pivot5.

[0045] To simplify the manufacture of a housing as is shown as anexample as an individual part in FIG. 3, the said housing ismanufactured as a cold extruded part. It is provided with an innerjacket surface 6, in which elevations and/or depressions 7 are prepared.The elevations/depressions 7 were prepared by means of a broaching toolin one operation. The interior space 2 of the housing 1 thus formed isused to subsequently receive the bearing shell 3 in the above-describedmanner.

[0046] Another possible embodiment of a housing 1 for a ball-and-socketjoint according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 4. The housing1 has an outer jacket surface of a circular cross section here, whilethe inner jacket surface 6 of the housing 1 has a polygonal crosssection. The interior space 2 of this housing, which has thus beenformed, is likewise connected to the bearing shell 3 by plasticdeformation, so that securing of the bearing shell against rotarymovement around the central longitudinal axis 16 is hereby guaranteed.

[0047] The elevations/depressions 7 are formed at first over the entireheight h of the housing 1 (see FIG. 3), which is subsequently widened ina deformation step to the diameter necessary for mounting theball-and-socket joint. An expanding tool 17 (see FIGS. 6 through 8),which acts with contact surfaces 18 locally on the inner jacket surface6 of the housing 1, is used for this widening. Theelevations/depressions 7 are pressed down in the area of the contactsurfaces 18 during the widening, so that pressure zones 19 (see FIG. 5)are formed, in which the elevations and/or depressions 7 are eithercompletely destroyed or have been made at least lower or flatter afterthe widening. The pressure zones 19 are located on four annular surfaces20 a, 20 b, 20 c and 20 d, whose center or central axis is located onthe central longitudinal axis 16 of the housing, and the annularsurfaces 20 a and 20 d directly adjoining the end faces of the housing1, in particular, contribute to a reduction of the amount ofcontaminants that can penetrate into the contact space between thehousing 1 and the bearing shell 3 via the end faces.

[0048]FIGS. 6 through 8 show different views of an embodiment of theexpanding tool 17 according to the present invention. The expanding toolhas separate segments 21 a through 21 h, which can be moved radially inthe outward direction in relation to the longitudinal axis 22 of theexpanding tool 17. This movement is generated such that a bolt (notshown) is pushed or pulled through a cone 23, which is provided in theexpanding tool 17 and whose smallest diameter is smaller than thegreatest diameter of the said bolt. The bolt may have, e.g., the shapeof a cylinder or a truncated cone.

[0049] To widen the housing 1, the expanding tool 17 is inserted intothe housing 1, after which the bolt is pushed or pulled through the cone23. The separate segments 21 a through 21 h, which will subsequentlymove in the radially outward direction, will then press the inner jacketsurface 6 of the housing 1 such that the said housing will be expanded.The diameter to which the housing 1 will be expanded can be set by thedimensions of the expanding tool 17, especially the angle of slope a ofthe cone 23 and the diameter of the bolt.

[0050] The outer surface 24 of the expanding tool 17 or of the segments21 a through 21 h, which presses the inner jacket surface 6 during thewidening, has a plurality of annular grooves 25, which are arranged atspaced locations from one another and whose center is located on thelongitudinal axis 22. The contact surfaces 18, which press the innerjacket surface 6 of the housing 1 during the widening and thus form thepressure zones 19, are located between the sawtooth-like annular grooves25. The uniformity with which the housing 1 can be widened increaseswith an increasing number of contact surfaces 18 present, but theelevations/depressions 7 available for the positive-locking connectionbetween the bearing shell 3 and the housing 1 after the widening willalso be less effective as the number of contact surfaces 18 increases.Four contact surfaces 18 with three annular grooves 25 are providedaccording to the embodiment that represents a good compromise for theapplication. The annular grooves 25, which are sawtooth-shaped accordingto this embodiment, additionally ensure that the sawtooth shape isreproduced with the sharpest possible edges at least partially on theinner jacket surface 6, so that the forces needed for pulling out thebearing shell 3 are increased after the bearing shell 3 has beeninserted into the housing 1, similarly to what happens in the case of abarb.

[0051] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

1. Ball-and-socket joint for a motor vehicle, especially for a rockerpendulum of a motor vehicle, with a said housing (1), which is open onat least one side and into the said interior space (2) of which a saidbearing shell (3) is inserted, which in turn accommodates a said jointball (4) of a said ball pivot (5) in a slidingly movable manner,characterized in that the said interior space (2) has said elevationsand/or depressions (7) along its said inner jacket surface (6), so thatthe said bearing shell (3), which is provided with an oversize inrelation to the said inner jacket surface (6), is inserted into the saidhousing (1) in a positive-locking manner while its said outer surfaceundergoes a partial plastic deformation.
 2. Ball-and-socket joint for amotor vehicle, especially for a rocker pendulum of a motor vehicle, witha said housing (1), which is open on at least one side and into the saidinterior space (2) of which a said bearing shell (3) is inserted, whichin turn accommodates a said joint ball (4) of a said ball pivot (5) in aslidingly movable manner, characterized in that the said interior space(2) of the said housing (I) has a polygonal cross section, so that thesaid bearing shell (3), which is provided with an oversize in relationto the said inner jacket surface (6), is inserted into the said housing(1) in a positive-locking manner while its said outer surface undergoesa partial plastic deformation.
 3. Ball-and-socket joint in accordancewith claim 1, characterized in that the said elevations and/ordepressions (7) extend over the entire said height (h) of the saidhousing (1).
 4. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with claim 1 or 3,characterized in that the said elevations and/or depressions (7) areprepared according to a deformation process.
 5. Ball-and-socket joint inaccordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the saidhousing (1) has a hollow cylindrical shape.
 6. Ball-and-socket joint inaccordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the saidhousing (1) is prepared according to a cold extrusion process or bymachining.
 7. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with one of the aboveclaims, characterized in that the said bearing shell (3) has on one sidea said outlet opening (8), through which a said connection pin (9) ofthe said ball pivot (5), which said connection pin (9) is connected tothe said joint ball (4), protrudes to the outside, and the said bearingshell (3) is closed on the side located opposite the said outlet opening(8).
 8. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with one of the aboveclaims, characterized in that the said bearing shell (3) has on one sidea said ring collar (10), which is supported on a front surface of thesaid housing (I) after the installation of the said bearing shell (3),and the side of the said bearing shell (3), which said side is locatedopposite the said ring collar (10) in the axial direction, has a saidring collet (11), which extends axially before the mounting and isdeformed to establish a tight connection between the said bearing shelland the said housing (1).
 9. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance withclaim 8, characterized in that the said ring collet (I 1) is deformed bymeans of a welding process or a rolling process.
 10. Ball-and-socketjoint in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in thata binder, especially an adhesive, is introduced between the said bearingshell (3) and the said housing (1).
 11. Ball-and-socket joint for amotor vehicle in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that thesaid inner jacket surface (6) has said pressure zones (19) which shortenthe effective length of the said elevations and/or depressions (7). 12.Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with claim 11, characterized in thatthe said pressure zones (19) are located on at least two said annularsurfaces (20 a-20 d), which are arranged at spaced locations from oneanother and whose centers or central axes are located on the saidcentral longitudinal axis (16) of the said housing (1). 13.Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with claim 12, characterized in thatone of the said annular surfaces (20 a) directly adjoins the at leastone said housing opening.
 14. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance withclaim 12, characterized in that the said housing (1) has a hollowcylindrical shape open at both end faces, and one of the annularsurfaces (20 a, 20 d) each directly adjoins each of the said two housingopenings.
 15. Ball-and-socket joint in accordance with one of the claims11 through 14, characterized in that the said elevations and/ordepressions (7) extend in parallel to the said central longitudinal axis(16) of the said housing (1).
 16. Ball-and-socket joint in accordancewith one of the claims 11 through 15, characterized in that sharp edgesor sawtooth-like structures, by which the force necessary for pullingthe said bearing shell (3) out of the said housing (1) is increased, areformed on the said inner jacket surface (6).